Automotive Electrical Connectors

While doing various wiring tasks on my cars
and in particular, while rewiring my 1975 Suburban, I have
learned a lot about various wire connectors used in the automotive realm. I
started this page as a personal "crib sheet" so I could keep track of what
connectors and terminals were used in what places and to cross-reference the
names I found to something I already knew. As it grew, I decided to create a page describing the various connectors, the common names for each
style connector, how they come apart (for adding and replacing wires), what they
look like complete with dimensions (for easy visual ID).

Packard 56

0-20A, Unsealed

Wire terminals available for 10 through 22 gauge wire

10 gauge is a really tight fit, 12 gauge may be a more
realistic limit

1/4" blade terminal design

Most common style I have ever seen - GM, Chrysler, and even some
Fords use these

Many switches and other electrical parts use a 1/4"
wide blade for electrical connections

Most common "quick disconnect" terminals use a 1/4"
wide blade that will connect with these in a pinch

Used in sealed beam headlight sockets, and in some
larger-diameter wire situations in older GM bulkhead connectors such as the
main power feed wires

Visually and functionally similar to Packard 56, but slightly
larger - same picture and removal technique applies here

Packard Twin Lock

Not sure on the amperage rating, but they do take up to 12 gauge
wire, so it should be at 0-20A or so, Unsealed

Wire terminals available for 12 gauge and 18/20 gauge wire, should
be able to find 14/16 gauge terminals in theory or use 12 gauge ones with a
tighter crimp.

Used on various 60's GM cars and possibly others in the
bulkhead/firewall connector and possibly in other places.

Uses the same connector for the male and female sides of the
connection; very unusual

Hard to find; only a few places seem to sell them these days.
PCS seems to be the only one I
can find.

To remove, depress the small tangs on each side of the terminal
from the front of the connector and then pull the wire + terminal out the
back of the terminal.

Here is a picture of a typical mid-60's GM bulkhead connector from one of my
website readers that shows how the Twin Lock terminals look when they are
installed in a connector. The grease in the connector is the remnants of the
original dielectric grease that GM put there when they built the vehicle.

Weather-Pak

0-20A, Sealed

Wire terminals available for 12 through 22 gauge wire

Very popular general purpose sealed connector design for
later-model GM vehicles

Uses seals at the end of each wire that are held in place by the
terminal straight relief crimp

Plugs are used in all unused wire cavities to preserve
weatherproof design

To remove terminals, insert the special round removal tool (GM p/n
12014012) from the front and push out

Metri-Pak 150

0-14A, Sealed or Unsealed

Wire terminals available for 16 through 22 gauge wire

Used in various GM applications for low-power and sensor
connections

Sealed connectors use seals and plugs similar to the Weather Pack
style

Sealed connector bodies are visually similar to Weather Pack style

Unsealed connector bodies vary by application

To removal terminals, depress small tang with a small flat tool
inserted from the front of the connector and push out

Metri-Pak 280

0-30A, Sealed or Unsealed

Wire terminals available for 12 through 22 gauge wire

Used in various GM applications for medium power and sensor
connections such as the 3 connector TH700R4 case connector

Sealed connectors use seals and plugs similar to the Weather Pack
style

Sealed connector bodies are visually similar to Weather Pack style

Unsealed connector bodies vary by application

To removal terminals, depress small tang with a small flat tool
inserted from the front of the connector and push out

Metri-Pak 480

0-42A, Sealed or Unsealed

Wire terminals available for 10 through 22 gauge wire

Used for various higher-power applications

Sealed connectors use seals and plugs similar to the Weather Pack
style

Sealed connector bodies are visually similar to Weather Pack style

Unsealed connector bodies vary by application

To removal terminals, depress small tang with a small flat tool
inserted from the front of the connector and push out

Metri-Pak 630

0-46A, Sealed or Unsealed

Wire terminals available for 10 through 22 gauge wire

Used for various higher-power connections

Sealed connectors use seals and plugs similar to the Weather Pack
style

Sealed connector bodies are visually similar to Weather Pack style

Unsealed connector bodies vary by application

To removal terminals, depress small tang with a small flat tool
inserted from the front of the connector and push out

Micro-Pak

Nothing known other than the name and a picture I came across in a
terminal supply catalog

Pack-Con I

Used in various GM low-power applications such as sensors and switches
starting in the late '70s

To removal terminals, depress small tang with a small flat tool
inserted from the front of the connector and push out

Pack-Con HD I

Similar in design to the Pack-Con I, but thicker

Available in wire sizes up to 10 gauge

Used in GM ATO/ATC style fuse blocks as the "receiving" contacts
for the fuse.

Visually and functionally similar to Pack-Con I, but slightly
larger - same picture and removal technique applies here

Pack-Con II

Similar to Pack-Con I, but wider and slightly different contact style
with two retaining tangs instead of just one

Used in GM ATO/ATC style fuse blocks as the "receiving" contacts
for the fuse

To removal terminals, depress both small tangs with a small flat tool
inserted from the front of the connector and push out

Pack-Con III

Similar to Pack-Con II

Also used in some fuse blocks

Same removal technique as Pack-Con II

GM Electronic Control Module

Nothing known other than the name and a picture I came across in a
terminal supply catalog.

GM Printed Circuit Board

I believe these are used in the connector at the back of the instrument
cluster on older GM vehicles to make contact with the flexible "printed
circuit board" used on the back of the instrument cluster

Ford

Ford used a great variety of connector and terminal styles through
the years, so I'm lumping these here for visual reference. GM seems to have
put much more engineering into their electrical systems, and as such has
much more standard terminals over the years. (In the interests of full
disclosure, I do prefer GM vehicles and I have worked on more of them so I
have more experience with them.) I've done enough wiring work on my
1979 Ford F100 to get a bit of
experience and add more details here, but it's by no means complete. It's
directly related to my personal experience with wiring.

The most common Ford terminals I've seen are the Wedge Lock style - they
have a .110" diameter pin and are generally not weather tight. Most of the
connectors on my 1979 Ford F100
were this style.

There are mini and micro Wedge Lock style terminals as well, with .060"
and .062" diameter pins. These were used in various weatherproof connectors
for lower amperage applications in the 80's and 90's Ford vehicles, possibly
later as well.

Most of the terminals are not being reproduced much if at all, and you
are often limited to whatever stock you can find laying around. Auveco
carries some, but a lot have been discontinued from their older catalogs -
ClipsAndFasteners.com is a
dealer and has a decent website to order from, and Auveco
has a decent line of other non-wiring products that you might want to look
at. Waytek Wire can get some Ford
terminals as well.

Most of the Ford connectors use a central locking device to hold the
pins in place - it's usually red plastic and goes into the center of the
connector from the front side (opposite of where the wires come out of the
connector). To free the individual terminals, you have to pry this locking
piece out carefully (on the non-weatherproof connectors you can get to it
from the outside of the connector along the side) and then the individual
terminals will have a small plastic tab that you bend (gently) into the
space where the locking device used to be. Once that locking tab is out of
the way, you pull the terminal + wire out of the back of the connector.
Insertion of a terminal is a simple "push in until it clicks" operation, and
then you re-insert the locking device and push it down until it seats. A
small jewelers screwdriver set and a small pair of needlenose pliers work
well on these connectors.

Here's two common Ford connectors with the terminals already removed and the
locking device removed and set below the connector body. The one on the left is
a weatherproof mini wedge lock style with 8 terminals (but only 5 were used in
the rear gasket shown above the connector body), the one on the right is a
non-weatherproof wedge lock style with 12 terminals.

Chrysler

Nothing known, included here for name and visual ID only.

Mate Lock

This seems to be a "third party" connector style that is used in
some applications.

Seems to be for low-power applications only

Included here for name and visual ID only.

Bulkhead Connectors and Grommets

Whenever you run wires through a bulkhead (firewall, floor, etc.) you need to
protect them from chafing on the sharp metal edges, and you often need to
provide a way to disconnect the entire harness for service.

For basic grommets, Packard 56 style connectors inside of a grommet, or a
nice Weather Pack style 22-wire bulkhead disconnect, check out American Autowire.
Their catalog of individual pieces instead of whole wiring harnesses can be
tough to find; you have to get to the
download a catalog page,
then you can select a section to get. Select the "Connectors, Terminals, and
Grommets" section for the firewall grommets, and the "Bulkheads, Disconnects,
Grounding, and Accessories" section for the connectors in a grommet and the
firewall disconnect. Getting the entire catalog is fun, but can take a while on
slower connections, or even on faster connections.

Random Details

Non-sealed connectors used in "exposed" areas (engine compartment,
bulkhead connectors, etc.) need to have dielectric grease applied to the
back side of the connector to make them reasonably weather-tight. Note that
this is different then the thermal paste you use under an HEI or ignition
module or the "improves connectivity" goo you use on battery and other
terminals. Both types are designed to repeal water and prevent corrosion
from getting into the connector/joint/etc. but electrically speaking, they
are exact opposites. Dielectric grease is basically a gooey, semi-liquid
insulator that prevents voltage from flowing from one place to another -
it's like wrapping something in electrical tape. The thermal paste and
"improves connectivity" goo are conductors - they help bridge small gaps in
the terminals and provide better connectivity - it's like connecting things
with a good wire. If you slather dielectric grease into the terminal side of
a connector, you may find they don't connect very well anymore unless the
terminals are tight enough to push the grease out of the way when they get
pushed together. On the other hand, making a trail of the "improves
connectivity" goo between your battery terminals might cause unwanted
special effects. Many places sell the wrong stuff - so be aware. This is
super-important for the thermal paste under ignition modules, but also
important for retrofitting older non-weatherproof connectors with new
wiring. Waytek Wire sells dielectric
grease. Radio Shack and most PC
parts stores (like newegg.com) sell
thermal grease. Most auto parts stores will sell the "improves connectivity"
goo for use on battery terminals, taillight sockets, and the like. I have a
tube of each around from various projects, and when you need it, you need
it.

In recent years, many of the large car manufacturers have started "mixing and
matching" electrical bits from different places, and different places keep
getting bought and run by different parent companies. (For example, Saab was
owned by GM for a while, so they use GM stuff on any newly designed components after the
takeover). In some cases, you can even find GM electrical connectors in a Ford -
in particular, I've been told that the MetriPak 280 terminals are seen on 1995
and up Fords for the headlight connectors.

Many newer cars have excellent electrical connector/terminal information in
their service manuals and wiring diagrams; if you can find a part number for
something, you can often dig into various places (and sometimes get the service
dept to dig into microfiche for stuff) to find lots of good details about what
terminals and connectors are needed for any given application. I'm told Saab
does a very good job in this regard, and since they use a lot of GM stuff, that
could be useful.

Kudos to Brian Leeper for emailing me with some important information here,
particularly about the degree of cross-pollination in more recent years, and in
how to find details in some of the newer manuals. Thanks, Brian!

Sources

Not all vendors carry everything, and many of these are hard to come by in
small quantities. I do enough various work, that I simply buy them in packages
of 50+ terminals if I need a few - they're relatively cheap once you find a good
source, and once you have them around, they always seem to get used.

Waytek Wire - great source, easy
online ordering. Their minimum dollar amount/quantity on each line item can
make it frustrating to get small quantities of unusual pieces - but so far
they are better than almost anyone else I have found. Their website is
full-featured, but has a few weird quirks you have to learn to work around.

Terminal Supply Co - I
have only found them recently, so I can't speak to ordering. They claim to
have online ordering, but it looks more like a "email us the list of part #
and qty you want and we'll send you a price" style of ordering. They do
claim to have lots of other stuff available, which seems promising.

Electrical Terminal Service - I
found these guys on the web while searching for various connectors. I have
no yet ordered from them, but they seem to be a good source for the
Metri-Pak, Weather Pack, and Packard 56 terminals. They do not have online
ordering than I can find.

Performance Connection Systems
- This one was sent to me by a reader of my website, Ed Gorman. They have a
ton of great stuff on their site, including some of the harder to find
Packard 59 and "buss bar" terminals used in fuse blocks. There's a lot to
sort through, but it's well done and easy to find what you need if you know
what it's called.

Your Local GM Dealer's Parts Department - Seriously! They usually have a
bunch of "terminal repair kits" in the service department with an assortment
of terminals in each one. If you ask nicely and know what you want or have a
sample of the terminal you need, they will often sell you a few for a
reasonable price. Beware that their computer will have nothing to look up,
so you have to trek down to the dealer, ask nicely, and hope for the best. I
got a handful of terminals for the TH700R4 case connector that's inside the
transmission for about $5 and an bit of waiting.

Bowman - These guys seem to be an industrial supply place, and they sell
about everything you can imagine from mops to safety gear on down to wiring
and terminals. They do not deal direct with the public, so you have to go through other
channels. They seem to supply a lot of the "terminal repair assortments"
that are floating about. I did manage to convince my local auto parts store
to order me a few specific terminals in quantities of 50 each, and the
prices turned out to be unreal - like $100 for a few bagfuls of terminals.
(Moral: ask for a price before saying "yes, I'll buy them"...)
Their wbesite isn;t much help in finding a vendor, but they do see to have a
catalog online.

Auveco - These guys seem to have
an impressive catalog of stuff, and they now have a catalog online. It says
B2B only at first glance, but you can browse it following the instructions
at the bottom of the page. Note that previous versions of this page
complained that these folks did not have an online catalog. They have since
rectified that situation and even sent me some mail noting the number of
hits originating from this page. Awesome! I originally stumbled across them
via a lucky Google hit on
part
of it at another website. If it hadn't been for that lucky
Google find, I would have never known these guys existed. (Note to anyone
running a supply company: your lifeblood is your catalog. Follow Auveco's
excellent example and get a PDF up on your website, will ya? I can
understand not shipping printed catalogs for free due to cost, but not posting an online
catalog for folks to look at is just saying "we'd rather not have your
business" to potential customers looking for stuff to buy...)

ClipsAndFasteners.com is
an Auveco dealer and has a decent
website to order from. I've ordered Ford terminals from them and been quite
happy.

Hollingsworth - I found them
online while looking for terminals. One item that caught my eye was their
flag terminals.

Lectric Limited - I found
this place online while searching for terminals. They seem to offer mostly
complete harnesses and various custom replacements as well as
repair/restoration services. They do not sell individual terminals, so no
luck there, but they do offer various repair kits. They do claim to be
custom manufacturing many specialty items for older GM vehicles, so working
with them on certain repair situations might be possible.

NAPA - They have a surprising amount of stuff available if you dig
around in their catalogs and have a counter guy who is willing to help out -
or even better, let you browse the catalogs yourself. Talk it up and make
friends with the counter guy when you do your regular parts ordering, and
ask nicely when you need special stuff - it pays off in the end when you
need a favor or two.

Cole-Hersee - I can order their stuff though my local parts store and
they have some interesting odds and ends, but not much. Your local parts
store may have a catalog you can look through if you ask real nice.

DigiKey - They offer lots of great
stuff if you can find it buried in their catalog. It turns out that some
appliances use the same basic .250" wide blade terminals and connectors as
the Packard 56 series stuff, and they offer a series of stuff called "Fastin-Faston"
that has them in it. The have them in
their online catalog
with more here,
here, and
here. One thing I
saw of particular interest in the catalog page was their "flag" style
terminals - lots of good stuff. It would be worth getting a catalog from
them to see exactly what they have.

Mouser Electronics - has a good
variety of stuff, including a lot for automatic electrical terminals and
connectors. One of the readers of my site pointed these folks out to me.

American Autowire
- they mainly offer entire harnesses, but they do have a few parts, and some
great GM style bulkhead connectors (grommet + connector all in one) as well
as large wire grommets with smaller central wiring holes. These are like the
factory uses so you can pull the wire harness + connectors through the
larger opening in the firewall, etc. when you need to remove the wiring
harness for service, etc. Their catalog of individual pieces instead of
whole wiring harnesses can be tough to find; you have to get to the
download a catalog
page, then you can select a section to get.

MJM National, Inc.
- An eBay seller with Weather Pack and Metri Pack stuff for sale. Thanks to
one of my readers, Orson Yancey, for letting me know about this source.